There are still plenty of those around.
I started working on cars in the '70’s too - on cars of the '60’s.
Cars have definitely gotten better and more reliable.
I’ve fixed 2 manual windows and had problems with 2 electric. The first car I had w/ elec. windows would stop once in a while - the connector in the drivers door would come lose. I figured out where and how to pound on the door to get it to work again for a while.
The 2nd one wasn’t exactly an elec. window issue - I drove to Minnesota and the temps dropped to well below 0. I lowered the window for a toll and something popped. The window wouldn’t go up. I lifted the window with my hands and had the wife stuff something between the window and the gasket to hold it up. The ‘gears’ were nylon/plastic. They broke again 2 winters later.
I’ve had a few '60’s cars - stock and hot rods. And I’ve been stranded on the side of the road by them a few times; fuel pump, ball-joint and alternator. I’ve also had to dry off the wires and points to get them to run right.
I had a timing light and a dwell meter - and I knew how to use them.
I haven’t been stranded by anything newer - and I put a lot of miles on my cars.
Now the cars tell you when somethings wrong - via the check engine light, and a code reader tells you what is wrong - but they keep running.
Some of the new super-quiet ones don’t have a disposal on board. That’s why they’re so quiet. You have to rinse the dishes to the point of nearly being clean, unless you like your dishwasher to stink.
Dammit, Whirlpool, I’m okay with a bit of noise, just put the disposal back in. I’ve got kids.
You just need to go further - plenty of places I camp don’t have any cell phone reception.
Online airline check-in. I spent 40 minutes today, 40 friggin minutes, checking me and my wife into a flight this afternoon. I think it might be better to wait in line at the airport. Although I did get better seats than the original booking.
Our midrange Kitchenaid has a disposal, and is still super-quiet. Not that I especially need my dishwasher to be completely silent. I’ve never quite understood the obsession with that.
I am so tempted to say every last damn one of them. I have ready-made frozen meals, microwave oven, “instant on” devices, this machine here and more. And yet I seem to have almost no time to do the things I really want. My Dad had none of this and he always had time to just “not do much” every day. But I’m just especially crotchety today.
Kitchenaid, eh? I’ll keep that in mind when my wife takes the maul to the whirlpool that came with the house.
Relish in a squeeze bottle. It’s a great way to spray pickle juice on a hamburger without getting any actual pickle particles out of the bottle.
Leaf blowers.
I fucking hate leaf blowers. Just use a fucking broom to move that single leaf you’re chasing around! And stop trying to use it on WET LEAVES!
Agree with most of the new car stuff.
I can’t stand the compulsion to automate everything. I prefer driving manual transmission cars with power nothing. Give me roll-up windows and push locks. Recently I got a 2001 Honda, and frankly I hate it. Even that vintage of car tries to do too much to “help”. I don’t want a vehicle under my control taking any uncommanded actions besides maybe the ABS. Don’t turn on the lights without my asking, don’t lock the doors, just wait for my input.
Once we have FULLY automated cars, I’ll gladly hand over the reins. Until then, I’m the f**ing driver. Stop trying to help!
You’ve missed my point. It’s not the connectivity or the message that it wrong, it’s the physical act of having to type out messages or read them.
Voice mail serves the same function and is faster and hands-free. Short messages are great but I don’t want to have a whole back and forth conversation over text.
Mayo in a squeeze bottle sucks too. Once you squeeze out all the stuff that’s close to the top the rest sticks to the side and bottom like paste and ain’t coming out.
You can’t even add water to loosen it up like ketchup or mustard.
Maybe it should come in a tube like toothpaste!
My new car has 2 presets for the driver’s seat position but it doesn’t work if you’re driving. My wife is always screwing with it so I have to pull over to reset it again.
The pump before you pay gas stations are all you find in my neck of the woods…I find paying beforehand maddening!
Motion-sensing sinks and soap dispensers. Because two minutes of frantic hand-flapping under the faucet is so much more convenient than turning a knob.
Ughhh… voicemail? Voicemail is TERRIBLE. Why would I want to call myself and enter a password to enter a phone tree to hear a message that says “This is X. Call me back.”? That’s better than caller ID how?
Or worse still, the troglodytes who want to leave a long message. So I press… 4 to repeat? Star? No, I’m not trying to delete the message, I need to stall while I find a stone tablet and chisel to take down an address so I can type it back into Google maps on my phone. Good thing that’s not automatically converted to a clickable link on my screen, I might have to do some READING.
Of course this is the 21st century now, so my voicemail will transcribe itself. It’s really good!
Great! I was going to call with weird. When I get a senseof where the place anyway! My name isn’t line, your name isn’t Mitchell, and… pay their a brought brother? But yeah.
This times a billion. There are some technologies that will never, ever work, and these are a prime example. Why do they keep putting them in?
I’m with you.
The theory is that they save water, money and cut down on transmitting bacteria/viruses by eliminating touch points.
The reality is that they are expensive, unreliable, and people put their hands all over them anyway. The initial installation cost and their maintenance/replacement far exceeds any resulting cost savings.
I’ve had more regular handles break off/strip/fail than electric windows. Especially vexing is when you have a broken handle and the local AutoZone or what-have-you doesn’t have the right kind.
While I agree that calling this a “convenience” is questionable, indeed deceptive, I do think I should note that it’s not a “two cents every now and then” difference. It makes about a $20 difference on every $100 I spend!